Sino-Soviet Relations

Economic aid for China, Soviet military assistance, restoration of Chinese soverignty over Manchuria

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Why was the alliance a fragile one?

Mao was treated as an instrument of Soviet power and the treaty heavily favoured the USSR

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Ideological clashes: What did Khrushchev and Mao compete to find?

A true interpretation of Marxism, they fell out over destalinisation and peaceful coexistence

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Why was the Korean War significant for Sino-Soviet relations?

It consolidated the Sino-Soviet friendship and increased China's dependence on the USSR, the war proved China's worth as an ally for Russia

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Why was the war significant for America?

It demonstrated the potential power of an alliance between USA and China but at the time this was merely an idea not a practical process

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Why did Mao want Taiwan as part of his China?

He wanted to unite the whole of China and he was concerned that the USA could use it as a base if the two countries were ever at war

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Why was Mao's attempt to take Taiwan in 1954 unsucessful?

The response of the two superpowers

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What was America's response to Mao's attempt to take Taiwan?

The USA and Taiwan signed a Mutual Defense Treaty to guarantee Taiwanese independence, Eisenhower was encouraged to drop nuclear weapons but he refused

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What was Russia's response to Mao's attempt to take Taiwan?

Publically Khrushchev agreed to retaliate against the US but privately he made it clear that he didn't want to be involved

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What did the Russian response to the Taiwan crisis of 1954 show?

The USSR was unwilling to help China achieve its military goals and indicated Khrushchev was worried Mao's illjudged foreign policy would lead to nuclear war

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Why was Mao's Great Leap Forward significant in the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations?

It was a rejection of Soviet economic development with Mao claiming it to be superior to the USSR's 5 year plans

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What did Mao believe Khrushchev to be?

An administrator who was concerned with organisation rather than change

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What happened during the second bombardment of Taiwan by China in 1958?

Khrushchev refused to support China. he attempted to persuade Mao to stop the attack by offering to share the USSR's nuclear secrets but then changed his mind to creating a nuclear free Pacific

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What did the second Taiwan crisis show Mao?

That Khrushchev couldn't be relied upon to advance China's strategic interests, it confirmed Mao's belief that Khrushchev favoured compromise with Capitalism over revolution

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How did the personal relationship between Mao and Khrushchev become further strained?

During Khrushchev's first visit to China Mao deliberately set out to humiliate him by organising a photo opportunity at a swimming pool, knowing Khrushchev couldn't swim

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Why were the USSR and China still allies in 1958?

China had no other major allies and Russia hoped their relations would give them the upper hand in the Cold War. The USA remained ignorant of the tensions between China and the USSR

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How did personal differences play a part in further deterioration of Sino-Soviet realations after 1959?

Mao openly snubbed Khrushchev on his second visit to China, the Chinese beat the Russians to the top of Mt. Everest, Khrushchev withdrew the Russian rxpects helping with the Great Leap Forward

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How did ideological divisions play a part in further deterioration of Sino-Soviet realations after 1959?

The Great Leap Forward was publically criticised by Khrushchev,Mao refered to Khrushchev as a revisionist and argued that the announcement of the end of class struggle in Russia was a betrayal of Communism

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How did strategic and military issues play a part in further deterioration of Sino-Soviet realations after 1959?

The Sino-Indian Border Conflict exposed important divisions between the USSR and China as Khrushchev publically criticised China's involvement and supported India sending $800 million in aid